Child & Family Services

Riverside Early Intervention

What is Early Intervention?

Riverside Early Intervention provides educational, therapeutic, and supportive services to children from birth to age 3. The children we see have, or are at risk of having, delays in their development. We are a family-centered program that works to empower families to meet their children’s individual needs through education, training, and support.

All members of the Riverside Early Intervention team are certified as Early Intervention specialists by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. We have two early intervention service locations, one in Needham and the other in Somerville. Our team includes:

Development Specialists

Social Workers

Mental Health Clinicians

Physical Therapists

Occupational Therapists

Speech and Language Pathologists

Who is Eligible to Receive Early Intervention Services?

Parents are encouraged to call the Early Intervention program if they have concerns related to their child’s development. Children may be eligible for services if they:

Have been diagnosed with a physical, emotional, or cognitive condition that may result in a developmental delay

Have feeding, vision, or hearing issues

Are slow to crawl, sit up, walk, or talk

Exhibit behavior difficulties or difficulty interacting with adults or other children

Are at risk for delays in development due to certain birth, health, or environmental circumstances in the family

Our Services

Our Early Intervention teams in Needham and Somerville work closely with families to identify each child’s strengths and developmental needs. Together they develop an Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP). The IFSP includes intervention strategies designed to assist the family in achieving desired developmental outcomes, and describes the services recommended to facilitate the child’s progress.

One staff member is assigned as a service coordinator for each child enrolled in the program. The service coordinator works closely with the family and other caregivers to develop and incorporate recommended strategies into the child and family’s daily routine. The service coordinator or the family may request periodic consultation from other team members. Services are provided in the home, at other community locations – such as child care programs, or at either of our locations in Needham or Cambridge/Somerville and may include:

Home visits with program professionals

Parent-Child Groups, Toddler Groups, and Parent Support Groups for families with eligible children

Consultation and collaboration with other community and medical service providers

Opportunities for non-eligible children to enroll in program-sponsored groups

Early Intervention Parenting Partnerships

Our Early Intervention Parenting Partnerships (EIPP) provides assessments, health education, and referrals to community services for at-risk pregnant women. Our team includes maternal child health nurses, social workers, and community health workers. Together, this team provides support during the pregnancy and monitors the development of the child from birth through his/her first year. Our Cambridge/Somerville program is one of only a few in Massachusetts that has both Early Intervention and EIPP services which partner together. This model allows us the unique opportunity to engage with families during the pregnancy and can continue to address their needs through a child’s third birthday.

Who Pays for Services?

Early intervention services are paid for by private health insurance, Medicaid, and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. There are no out-of-pocket costs to families.

Our Service Areas

For more information or to arrange an evaluation for your child, please contact:

781-449-1884 for Needham, Newton, Wellesley, and Weston

617-629-3919 for Cambridge and Somerville

We are pleased to share comments from the people we serve:

"Riverside helped me and my family through a very difficult time; I could not think of anything more they could have done to help us!" - Beth